Coulter on DeLay scandal: Reporters and liberals "want it to be against the law to be a Republican, and they would like us in Guantánamo"

Defending former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) on the September 28 edition of Fox News' DaySide, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter attacked reporters and liberals, claiming that "they want it to be against the law to be a Republican, and they would like us in Guantánamo." Her comments were made in the context of discussing, with DaySide co-hosts Mike Jerrick and Juliet Huddy, a question that a reporter posed to White House press secretary Scott McClellan: "Is the President concerned that there's a stench of corruption around the Republican establishment in Washington?" "The stench of corruption means Republicans are in power," Coulter said. Later, she claimed, "They want us all in Guantánamo. And, by the way, I want to say, if you're a Republican in Washington and you haven't been indicted, you're doing something wrong."

Coulter also said the accusations against DeLay are minor compared to the Monica Lewinsky scandal: "They had a president getting oral sex from an intern on Easter Sunday in the Oval Office, and what they have on DeLay is which account a campaign contribution went into."

From the September 28 edition of Fox News' DaySide:

HUDDY: We also have Ann Coulter, who is champing at the bit to jump out on this one. The stench of corruption, did you hear that one?

JERRICK: That's from a journalist, an objective journalist -- [from a reporter's question earlier at a White House briefing]

COULTER: The stench of corruption means Republicans are in power. They had a president getting oral sex from an intern on Easter Sunday in the Oval Office, and what they have on DeLay is which account a campaign contribution went into.

[...]

JERRICK: Conversely, though, [the House GOP caucus rule requiring the majority leader to step down if indicted] could be part of a self-preservation mode. If he is going to have, you know, what some -- some people call stench on him, he can say, "I have to step down, it's a rule," instead of saying, "Well, I need to get out of the picture here because it's bad for my other friends here who are running mid-term elections."

HUDDY: Taking a little of the spotlight.

COULTER: Right. That's true. I'm just always very hesitant to be referring to a stench rather than a conviction, because there's always a stench around Republicans, whether -- I mean, as long as there are enough liberals to scream corruption, there's always going to be a stench.

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